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Sharon Socol’s Plus One Book Signing at Barneys New York

Much of the fashion set may be en route from London to Milan for this never-ending month of shows, but last night, at least some of the crew was on the ninth floor of Barneys New York, celebrating photographer Sharon Socol’s new book, Plus One: An Outsider’s Photographic Journey Into the World of Fashion. For a self-proclaimed outsider, she certainly drew a crowd. “It’s like a classy subway ride!” said one attendee, trying to maneuver her way to a table where Socol was signing copies of the tome (a portion of sales benefit the Council of Fashion Designers of America). Even those who ducked in and out, like Rag & Bone designers Marcus Wainwright and David Neville, waded through the mob to have their books autographed. Socol’s ticket into this world came by way of her marriage to the former CEO of Barneys, Howard Socol, although Simon Doonan says she’s more of an “interloper”: “That’s why her pictures are so great,” he said. “Because she doesn’t have any preconceived notions about fashion.”

However, most of the crowd at the book signing could be firmly categorized as fashion insiders. “I went to a Bill Gibb show in the seventies,” said Doonan, when asked when he felt like he had made it. “It was my first big fashion show in London, and I thought, Wow, Grace Coddington is here, and Princess Margaret is here, and Twiggy’s here, and this is a groovy moment.” J.Crew executive creative director Jenna Lyons revealed, “I can’t say that I’ve had many fashion-insider moments other than walking up the steps at the Met Ball two years ago, with Jay-Z and Beyoncé on the red carpet. Just walking through the museum when it’s closed—it’s unbelievable!”

As for Socol? “I still feel like this is another world,” she started to say, before her husband interrupted her. “They’re asking for you to sign more books!” he said. Fashion outsider? Hardly.